OLYMPICS

We at FantasyDrafthelp.com are big believers in applying fantasy sports principles to niche sports -- as such, we are following up our 2006 Winter Olympics game with one for the 2008 Summer Games.

We will conduct a draft on our August 6 edition of THE FANTASYDRAFTHELP.COM INSIDER on SportsTalkNetwork.com (7-9 PM EDT), utilizing our recommended league guidelines.  Here's how it breaks down.

There are two categories of medals per country: Aquatics/Track and Field and Everything Else.  Points in Aquatics/Track and Field are awarded as follows: 12 points for a gold medal, 8 points for a silver medal and 4 points for a bronze medal.  Points in Everything Else are awarded as follows: 6 points for a gold medal, 4 points for a silver medal and 2 points for a bronze medal.  Because there are significantly more medals awarded in Everything Else, this scoring system equalizes medal performance across the board.

Assemble five owners and conduct a draft that goes five rounds in standard serpentine fashion.  Each owner must draft two countries from Aquatics/Track and Field, two countries from Everything Else and one additional "flex pick" from either category.  In the case of Team USA, the Aquatics and Track and Field units are drafted separately as a kind of equalizer given the country's huge performance in these areas in the past -- but either unit counts toward the "position requirements."

Below, we have listed the performance of countries at the 2004 Summer Olympics in all events in which countries earned medals.  The column down the right-hand side indicates how countries performed overall according to our league's scoring system and serves as a draft board of sorts.